What is keeping kosher

Use of a Caterer Different rules apply when an event is professionally catered, and meat may be served at these events under the circumstances that follow. All caterers must be provided with a copy of these Guidelines in advance of the event and must agree to adhere to the Guidelines. All caterers serving meat at the Kehillah must be interviewed by the Kehillah designated representative to make sure that they understand these Guidelines and are willing to abide by them.

As caterers are interviewed and approved, the Kehillah will maintain a list of such approved caterers. Foods with Non-Kosher Ingredients Foods that contain non-kosher ingredients may not be served at any event or program, regardless of where it is prepared.

Meat and Poultry Any meat or poultry served an event must be certified as kosher. Any food containing meat or poultry ingredients must be made with certified kosher meat or poultry. Dairy and Meat Served Together Dairy foods may not be served at the same event where meat or poultry is served. No dish may be served which contains both dairy products and meat or poultry ingredients. Use of the Kitchen The kitchen may not be used by anyone, including a caterer, for meat or poultry products.

If there is doubt as to what food to bring to such an event, it is encouraged to use the rules set forth in these Guidelines to allow greatest participation among our members with varying degrees of observance. Wine All wine and other beverages are permitted for both social and ritual purposes. Cheese All cheeses are permitted unless there is an obvious addition of a non-kosher substance added to the cheese.

Rennet is considered to be pareve. Passover During the week of Passover, in addition to the above-mentioned Guidelines, chametz, and all products containing chametz are not permitted at official Kehillah events or private events in the facility or on the premises.

Also an individual may not bring in any food made with non-kosher ingredients to any official event or program that is sponsored by the Kehillah or into the facility. Members are encouraged to accompany their dishes with a written list of ingredients to accommodate individual dietary restrictions and allergies. Thank you to Congregations Adat Shalom and Dorshei Emet for the use of their Communal Kashrut Policies from which we lifted lines liberally as models in articulating our own guidelines.

Final Suggestions Members are encouraged to accompany their dishes with a written list of ingredients to accommodate individual dietary restrictions and allergies. Search for:. My Account: username: password:. A vital ingredient in hard cheeses is an enzyme called rennet, which is normally derived from the stomachs of an animal. Some rabbinic authorities, including most from the Conservative movement , maintain that the enzyme is so separated from its original source, that it cannot be considered a meat product.

Therefore, these authorities believe it is permissible to eat cheese that was made with rennet. Others believe that rennet still constitutes a part of an animal, and thus cannot be mixed with milk, and would theoretically have to come from a kosher animal. Those who maintain this position will not eat cheese made with animal rennet. In America, all cheeses that have kosher supervision are made with kosher rennet, which comes from vegetable or microbial sources.

In the past, some farmers were known to mix milk from non-kosher animals, such as horses and camels, in with the milk of kosher animals, such as cows and goats. This milk would not be considered kosher because it contained products of non-kosher animals. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts.

Sample Menu and Foods to Eat and Avoid. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Part 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Eat only mammals with cloven feet that chew their cud. Most kosher laws are centered around meat and are usually concerned with the type of animal that is permitted to be eaten and the way in which it was killed.

In the case of mammals, kosher laws specifically state that the only mammals to be eaten are those who both chew their cud and have cloven hoofs. All cattle, sheep, bison, goats, and deer are kosher.

Pigs, hares, and horses are not kosher because they do not fulfill both requirements. You shall neither eat of their flesh nor touch their carcass. Do not eat shellfish or fish without scales. In the case of fish, there are several species that are not considered kosher and cannot be eaten. These include all shellfish including crab, lobster, shrimp, and oysters, in addition to fish without scales such as swordfish.

But whatever does not have fins and scales, you shall not eat; it is unclean for you. Do not eat reptiles, amphibians, insects, rodents or birds of prey. Reptiles, amphibians, most insects, and birds of prey are not permitted to be eaten by the laws of kashrut. These animals include turtles, frogs, whales, dolphins, salamanders, snakes, and birds like vultures or crows. Do not eat any part of an un-kosher animal. Not only can you not consume the meat of an un-kosher animal under the laws of kashrut, you also cannot consume their milk, eggs, fat or organs.

For example, many kinds of cheese are hardened with an enzyme called rennet, which is often obtained from non-kosher animals. It's important therefore to examine the ingredients in every product that you buy or only purchase items that have been marked with a kosher seal. Eat meat that has been slaughtered in accordance with Jewish law. Even if you stick to eating the meat of animals you know are kosher, you can still break the laws of kashrut if the animal is not slaughtered in a way that adheres to Jewish law.

It may be hard to find a kosher meat if you aren't living in Israel, New York City, or a neighborhood with a high concentration of Jews. It is against kosher laws for Jews to consume blood, as blood signifies the life or soul of the animal.

The shochet, or person in charge of the slaughter, also remove certain nerves from the animal, as well as the fat surrounding the vital organs and liver. Consuming these pieces of the animal is against the kosher law.

Part 2. Do not eat meat and dairy together. One of the most important and most difficult to follow rules of kashrut is the prohibition of eating meat and dairy in the same meal. Some Jews avoid having it in the same meal, while others wait at least 3 hours in between the two food groups.

Consume grape products made by Jews. The laws of kashrut command those who keep kosher to not consume grape products or wine made by non-Jews.

Kosher wine usually comes with a Kosher seal, so it is easy to distinguish. These polytheistic communities produced wine that they sanctified to be used in sacrifices to the pagan gods.

Ancient Jews did not want to imbibe wine that was associated with these pagan sacrifices, so they created a law that the only wine to be drunk was wine made by other fellow Jews. Check eggs for blood before consuming. Eggs are kosher under the laws of kashrut as long as they are taken from chickens or other kosher animals. However, because the consumption of blood of any kind is not kosher, it's important to check your eggs for blood before cooking them.

Crack individual eggs into separate bowls and look for blood traces before combining them with the rest of the food you are cooking. If you crack an egg with blood into a pot of food, you will contaminate the entire dish. Inspect fruits and vegetables for bugs. Before purchasing or consuming fruits or vegetables, make sure to inspect them for bugs or insects. All fruits and vegetables are kosher, but since bugs and insects are not in most communities, it's important to inspect produce before eating it.

Purchase food with a kosher seal. As long as you know that a food is kosher, and if it's meat that it has been slaughtered in a way that adheres to the laws of kashrut, you don't need to buy food that has a kosher seal. However, buying food that has a certified kosher seal on it can make life a lot easier for you. If you live in a large city that has ample food options, or in a community that has a lot of Jews, you should have access to meat and foods that are marked as kosher. The seal is usually under the product name or near the ingredients list on packaged foods.

A lot of packaged food have kosher seals, but it may be harder to find kosher seals on meat unless you live in a heavily Jewish community. When you see this seal, you know that you don't have to worry about pairing this food with dairy or meat. Keep your kitchen kosher. Very observant Jews take keeping kosher a step further by keeping their kitchen kosher.